These are the leading stories in local newspapers this Saturday.
Times of Malta reports that a UK variant of the COVID-19 virus is fuelling a record number of new infections in the country, with Malta registering an average of more than 200 cases a day over a seven-day period.
The newspaper also reports that many criminal charges filed in a case concerning a double-decker bus tragedy are now time-barred.
The Malta Independent leads with the double-decker crash court case, saying that the magistrate criticised prosecutors for having delayed in filing charges, leading to charges being time-barred.
L-Orizzont says the rise in new infections is attributable to changes to rapid testing rules. The newspaper also reports progress in developing digital vaccine certificates.
In-Nazzjon leads with PN leader Bernard Grech calling for the country to start a fresh page, following reports that Chris Cardona was implicated in an aborted plot to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia.